Frozen shoulder experiences

[frozensh]

Has anyone successfully shortened the recovery time of a Frozen shoulder? I’m having physio but it isn’t getting any better (quite impatient as only been 2 months). Does anyone know a magic cure, potion, exercise that speed up healing?

Ive also heard that it can return! So any tips on preventing this from happening. (Again, already impatient for my possible second round :)

TIA

Sympathy from me.

I've had both shoulders frozen at different times and it's horrid. I have no magic tips/tricks/suggestions (and I certainly didn't have physio, so good luck.)

Avoiding it in future - I was a lecturer and used to carry huge amounts of marking around in a shoulder bag. Don't do stuff like that?

Have you been offered hydrodilatation or steroid injections to release some if the inflammation?

I hate to say this but mine took 3 years to get back to normal and was really painful.

You have my absolute sympathy. I had my first frozen shoulder over lockdown took around 18 months to nearly fully recover. My second happened about 18 months after that on the other shoulder, that got better slightly faster. I say nearly fully recovered, because now, even after three years after my second one, I still don't have full mobility in my shoulders, although it doesn't stop me doing anything, apart from maybe scratching my own back.

It was probably the most miserable time of my life - the pain when something knocked my arm was like nothing I have ever experienced, and the months of bad sleep was just awful. I couldn't drive, couldn't get dressed easily, couldn't even wash my hair properly.

I tried physio at first, but once it properly ceased up and got to the painful stage there is absolutely nothing a physio can really do as you just can't move it. I also had a steroid injection which did nothing. What I would absolutely recommend, is hydrodilatation. I had it both times and it pretty much kick started recovery. There was over a year waiting list for it on the NHS, so I ended up going private for both. I had it a lot earlier on with my second frozen shoulder which is why the whole thing didn't last as long as the first one.

You have my sympathies! Mine resolved itself - took about 4 / 5 months from the start of it to when it started to ease up. Just did the physio exercises and kept it moving.

I’ve had it twice and had physio , which did very little , then hydrodilatation via private insurance which virtually released it overnight.

It can only be done 2/3 times.

Also be aware frozen shoulder , particularly repeat, is more common in type 2 diabetics.

It took me 18 months but I have full movement now. My tips:

HRT (if appropriate- this can be a meno symptom and my joint issues are mostly resolved with oestrogen; had v few other symptoms)
physio - be religious about the exercises even when it feels pointless. I still do mine every day and not had any trouble for 6 years after 3 consecutive frozen shoulders
tens machine. Never used it for labour but was a life saver for pain management

I went to the physio every day for 6 weeks then slowly cut down to 3 times a week etc to taper. Steroid injection did nothing. Went for a walk of at least an hour every day to keep it moving. Used heat wheat bags. Took about 5 months

I've had it in both shoulders. The first one, when I was in full blown menopause (there is a link I think???) was awful. So painful it kept me awake at night. I had (useless) NHS physio but found the exercises just made it hurt more. I tried swimming with it (back stroke), but that didn't help either. When I gave up the exercises and let it fully freeze, it hurt a lot less. I'd say from start to finish it was about 2 years. But as it was my left shoulder and I'm right handed, having less mobility in it wasn't a huge problem.

My right shoulder was so much less painful I didn't realise it was still frozen shoulder. It lasted about a year and a half, but I never lost full mobility and I just put up with it.

Both are completely back to normal now. I'm not sure I'd recommend physio, unless you can go private. The NHS care I had was worse than useless and actually made it a lot more painful and prolonged it.

Anti inflammatory painkillers helped, as did the same thing in gel form to rub on it.

Sorry to hear you’re suffering too - not entirely sure I’ve got frozen shoulder but I have very limited movement and debilitating pain if I’m do certain movements so sounds very similar. I’m afraid I’m just over a year in and it’s worse than ever - just had an ultrasound to check if there’s a tear as a physio seemed to think it might be a rotator cuff injury but not entirely sure . I’ve tried complete rest (almost completely froze up, so I wouldn’t recommend that) and then just cracking on with my usual Life, including Yoga and Swimming - agony. Then also had lots of physio with gentle mobility exercises which helps slightly but privately funded so isn’t sustainable.

I’m currently investigating steroid or hydrodilation as it’s really impacting my sleep and I’m really out of shape not doing any other sort of exercise as even running is painful.

I had the steroid injection into the joint and did the exercises they gave me with devotion. It cleared in a few days. I found swimming (breaststroke) really helpful and if it started to feel wrong I swam more and it cleared. That was 2011 when I was 45 and thankfully no repeat on either side.

And women over 50!

And yes, I’m sure it’s menopause related too Partly because I know so many women my age with shoulder issues, but also when I was pregnant(so times of other big hormonal shifts) I had something similar

Acupuncture from a proper Chinese certified acupuncturist worked really well for me. I had six sessions and it was 90% gone. Physio was a complete failure for me. I honestly thought I was going to throw up from the pain as the physio tried to mobilise it. I'd also done all the home exercises that are suggested with no success. Painkillers barely took the edge off it. Not sure what age you are, but it is often related to peri-menopausal hormone changes.

Unfortunately no!
Ive had it in both shoulders (separate times). Although some things felt like they’d helped at the time it just came back. I found I really just needed to keep it gently moving and let it run its course.
18 months the first shoulder and less than a year the second.
I does eventually go away, I promise!

If appropriate, HRT. If you're on it, see a private specialist to make sure your levels are right. It can be an estrogen thing.

Sports massage cured mine in about ten sessions. I continue to do the exercises the physiotherapist set ( the physio literally gave me the exercises and sent me on my way saying it might improve or might not) The massaged therapist used a red light thingy but also gentle fascia release work as I was moving my arm as he directed. This was all about twelve years ago. My mother had it too but had no treatment, and ended up needing surgery.

id recommend trying steroid injections into the joint - sadly I ended up needing surgery after 2 years
hoping it resolves soon for you

Steroid injection in the shoulder and exercises given by the GP worked for me. Another meno symptom. Men get away with murder.

Heat Pad as often as possible.

I had this at the beginning of the year. I was assuming it would take years to heal but it actually got better after about 3 months, before my NHS physio appointment even came through. YMMV of course. It was awful to live with, you have my sympathy!

I made a pad of frozen peas for the pain (using a sandwich bag and tape) and used a hot water bottle for the aches. I took ibuprofen and paracetamol every 4 hours.

I also did gentle yoga moves randomly throughout the day to try and loosen it up.

Waited for physio first time round, did all the exercises, had the steroid which only relieved pain in one area, took over 2 years (so probably no quicker than from doing nothing).

Second time around, the other shoulder; hit it hard from the first twinges with a massage gun, lying on the floor of an evening trying to get the back of my hand to touch the floor (it wouldn't for weeks) from a 'hands up' position, would use a foam roller to encourage my back to curve and the muscles to relax, using an exercise band and used the pec and flye deck at the gym on the lightest setting with different ranges set for the dodgy side, would bring the pulldown bar to hand level before letting it apply slight tension when I let the bar slowly up (so a sort of reverse of the usual action). Took about five months.

I also have a frozen shoulder. I’ve been doing physio since February but I still have stiffness and find it difficult to put my bra on.

For those who have had steroid injections, did you experience any side effects?
Thanks.

I've had frozen shoulder in both shoulders at different times. Both times it took about 2 years to go through the process of the three stages. I do Pilates and other exercises, but I don't have full movement in my shoulders (it's about 80-90%).

I had a steroid injection for the second frozen shoulder and it took away about 80% of the pain so I'd recommend it. No side effects.

I went to an osteopath early on with the second one and he said he couldn't do anything until it started to unfreeze on its own.

It's a really unpleasant and painful condition.

No side effects although the injection site was intermittently sore. Told not to drive until next day.